TeamLiquid.net started out in 2002 as a site for fans of professional Starcraft. The sixth news item on our site was a few simple sentences:

"Gembc Race Wars Results

This week was Chojja(z) vs Nal_Ra(p).Chojja won the 1st, 3rd, and 4th games on LT, Indian Lament, and Plains to Hill respectively. Nal_Ra managed to pick up on game on Blade Storm to avoid being shut out."

After that, we followed MBCGame for the next nine years. Our great love in life was Starcraft played with beauty, and we were glad to find another that shared this love. Many of us here can say that MBCGame provided us with a defining memory of our youths, through the tales of others that had devoted their own youths to chase a dream.

The following is our humble tribute to those memories. In doing this, we acknowledge that MBCGame stood for more than just Starcraft and the MSL, but they were what we came to know best. We apologize to the Moons and Holemans out there; we can only write about what we know.

It's very little, for something that meant so much. A lot of us grew up, and between college, jobs, spouses, and children, found it hard to spare a moment for a departed friend. And some of us, we just moved on. The least we could do was talk about some of our fondest memories, and though it's too late, let people know that we cared.

Thank you, MBCGame. We will always remember you.

- TeamLiquid

On February 1st, Korean cable gaming channel MBCGame ceased operations. During its eleven year run, MBCGame was best known for holding the MBCGame Starcraft League (MSL), a pillar of the professional Starcraft: Brood War competition in Korea. Though professional Brood War was the channel's primary focus, it also produced a large variety of gaming and esports related programming, and helped sustain the Korean Warcraft III and Tekken scenes for a number of years. Declining viewer numbers became a concern in later years and, in 2011, parent company MBC Plus Media made the decision to replace MBCGame with a music-focused channel.

From its launch in 2001, MBCGame could not avoid being defined through comparison with its primary competitor, OnGameNet. OnGameNet had been founded in 2000 as a spin-off from Anime channel Tooniverse, after its ventures into televising tournaments of Blizzard Entertainment's hit game Starcraft ended up being successful beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

The two companies would form a curious, competitive relationship. The early years of competition were fraught with frequent format tweaks to their flagship programs, the OnGameNet Starleague (OSL) and MBCGame Starcraft League (MSL), as the two tournaments sought to find a formula that would distinguish themselves from their competitor. During this period, MBCGame and OnGameNet even refused to refer to each other by name on air, calling their rival's tournaments "other leagues" instead. At other times, they looked like allies of circumstance, as in 2007 when KeSPA seized control of the broadcasting rights to the Proleague (the primary team level competition in Korea) and sold them back to the two broadcasters, which had helped lay the foundations for the Proleague with their own team competitions in 2003.

In the end, MBCGame would always be second-place in the eyes of Starcraft fans, as the OSL's longer history, combined with OnGameNet's superior promotion, made sure the Starleague never gave up its reputation as the first, and the best tournament. Incidents such as the 2010 NATE MSL finals – in which the power for a player's computer went out due to a production oversight (the culprit was a space heater plugged into the same line as the computer) – and the Warcraft III map tampering scandal – in which an unscrupulous producer secretly altered unit stats in an attempt to influence race balance – made MBCGame look like a well intentioned, but sometimes fatally incompetent, challenger.

Despite this, MBCGame created a unique Starcraft identity that resonated with many fans. The OSL's strength was its reputation for creating the most dramatic storylines, with moments such as Kim "Effort" Jung Woo impossibly coming back from 0 – 2 down against Lee "Flash" Young Ho, or Heo "Jangbi" Yeong Mu finally winning a championship after five hard years being important parts of its legacy. To the viewers, the OSL was the place for pipe dreams and fairy tales.

On the other hand, the MSL was the reality from which these dreams could sprout. The five 'Golden Badge' (awarded to three time MSL Champions) winners served as accurate representations of the Starcraft powers of their day, with Lee "Nada" Yoon Yeol (2002), Choi "iloveoov" Yeon Seong (2003 – 2004), Ma "Savior" Jae Yoon (2005 – 2006), Kim "Bisu" Taek Yong (2007-2008), and Flash (2009 – 2011) being considered the standards of excellence to aspire to – and also as nigh insurmountable challenges – during their championship reigns.

In a way, MBCGame as a channel resembled their progaming team MBCGame Hero (founded in 2006). Both suffered from a chronic lack of funds and were distinctly rough around the edges. Despite this, both were beloved by Starcraft fans for letting the best Starcraft players show their abilities to the world.

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MBCGame was founded in 2001 as GeMBC, a cable subsidiary of the Korean television broadcaster MBC. It entered the market during the early boom years of professional Starcraft: Brood War in South Korea, as first generation stars such as Lim "BoxeR" Yo Hwan and Hong "Yellow" Jin Ho hit their primes.

GeMBC's flagship tournament was the KPGA Tour, a tournament that borrowed the name of the eponymous Korean Pro-Gaming Association (the previous embodiment of KeSPA). The KPGA was another new organization that had sprung up following the explosive success of Brood War in South Korea, and their cooperation with GeMBC was an attempt for both organizations to gain relevance in the eyes of the fans (in that respect, it was a venture that would pay off for both down the road, though their perceptions in the public eye would diverge greatly).

The first four KPGA Tours were series of monthly tournaments held through August and November of 2001, and alongside MBCGame's broadcast of WorldCyberGames 2001, they amounted to dress rehearsals for more serious competitions. In 2002, the KPGA Tour expanded to compete directly with the OnGameNet Starleague – the Starcraft tournament par excellence – making the important change of extending its duration to a similar two to three months. In 2003, the channel would change its name to MBCGame, and rechristen the KPGA Tour as the MBCGame Starcraft League (MSL) – the name it would keep for eight years and over twenty more tournaments.

MBCGame unveiled the KPGA Team League (later renamed MBCGame Team League) in 2003, making it the first major team level competition in professional Brood War. The Team League introduced the popular all-kill format, a king of the hill style of play. By allowing a single player to defeat many opponents in a row, the best players of the day were able to demonstrate their prowess, while lesser known players had the opportunity to make themselves known by going on a hot streak. Though the format disappeared temporarily after KeSPA combined the MBCGame Team League and OnGameNet Proleague into the unified KeSPA Proleague, it later made a partial return by popular request.

After its release in 2002, MBCGame started to air Warcraft III tournaments with both individual competition and clan-based competition. Following its initial success, MBCGame made a strong commitment to Warcraft III in 2003, branding its individual league as the 'Prime League' and giving it its own dedicated website – an investment not even made for the MSL. The refocused Prime League gained a surprising cult following and lasted for five seasons.

However, in 2005, the Prime League was rocked by scandal. One of the head producers of the Prime League had been tampering with the maps behind the scenes, slightly strengthening the Orc race while weakening the Night Elves – respectively the under and over-represented races in the league at the time. The discredited Prime League shut down in the aftermath, halting the momentum in the growing Korean Warcraft III scene. Though MBCGame would attempt to reboot its Warcraft III efforts in 2007 with its World War series, there was not enough interest to sustain it for an extended period of time.

In October of 2005, MBCGame started what would become one of its longest running programs in Star Muhan Dojun (infinite challenge). The program featured MBCGame's broadcast personalities (and the occasional progamer guest) playing popular Starcraft 'Use Map Settings' games, while mic'd up to provide entertaining banter. Though MBCGame would produce many other programs in the same 'variety' category as Star Muhan Dojun, none would replicate its success. Star Muhan Dojun would last for over six years and three hundred-episodes. The program went off the air in January of 2012, outlasting the MSL to become the last iconic MBCGame program to shut down.

By 2006, the focus of professional Starcraft in Korea had shifted from individual leagues to the team level competition of the unified KeSPA Proleague. MBCGame decided to expand its involvement in the Starcraft scene, and acquired the talent-filled, but impoverished, progaming team Pirates of Space and converted it into MBCGame Hero. MBCGame Hero would go on to have a great deal of success as one of the lowest budget teams in progaming, becoming Proleague champions in the very same year.

In 2009, MBCGame capitalized on South Korea's rich Tekken scene by starting the Tekken Crash League. Though South Korean players had been widely considered the best Tekken players in the world for over a decade, there had been no regular, serious competition inside Korea itself. The Tekken Crash league gained a considerable cult following similar to the Prime League of the past, and remained a mainstay of MBCGame's programming over two years and eight seasons until MBCGame's shut-down was confirmed.

Towards the end of 2011, rumors began to circulate that MBC Plus Media was planning to close MBCGame and convert it to a music channel. Although MBCGame representatives denied that any certain decision had been made, MBC Plus Media would eventually file for an official channel change to be completed in February of 2012. Some pointed to declining ratings as the reason for the decision, as both OnGameNet and MBCGame had struggled to retain their peak audiences from the mid 2000's. Others suggested that the image of professional Starcraft had taken too big a hit from the match-fixing scandal of 2010, and that MBC Plus Media had lost interest in supporting professional gaming.

MBCGame was sent off with a five part special series, 'Adieu, MBCGame.' The final episode ended with the following words:

"Starting from just four desks in 2001, we were a gathering of people who loved games and imagined the future.

What we imagined became reality, and in turn, that reality has become undeniable history.

Though our history will sleep now, our dreams never will.

Thank you for your love."

By: Jonvvv, Carnivorous Sheep, GTR, Kiett, riptide, Ver & WaxAngel

With this list, we celebrate each and every game that MBC brought us. Though we've ranked them in ascending order for your viewing pleasure, to us, each of them is precious. Together, they represent a little sliver of what this great station meant to all of us.

fOrGG represented a curious and unusual mixture of brute force and precise timings. Having reached the MSL final after beating Flash 3-1, he now had to take on his teammate, reigning Zerg champion Jaedong. Never considered a candidate to make it to the finals, let alone win it, fOrGG proceeded to humiliate Jaedong 3-0 in decisive fashion. In this particular game, fOrGG showed exactly what it meant to sledgehammer your opponent to death. This is the game that gives the phrases "out macro," "doom drops," and "massive tank lines" meaning.

Though Nada and iloveoov were best known as superior macro players, they had brilliant minds as well. In this game from the CenGame MSL, the two players faced off in a true duel of the wits after a proxy 2-Barracks rush from Nada left both players in a very awkward situation. Nada played the role of an aggressive improviser, keeping the pressure on iloveoov with creative tactics, including an double barracks float offensive wall off (you have to see it to believe it), and a rare bio-mech switch in TvT. On the other hand, iloveoov was forced to swiftly adapt on defense, to make sure none of Nada's surprises caught him off guard. Overall, it was a peculiar game that showed the less appreciated, but no less important aspects of two legendary players.

Any fan of Broodwar knows that ZvZ is not its most amazing matchup. Usually ending at mutas, and sometimes not even making it past lings, the games that Zergs produce when playing against each other are rarely worth a second watch. This makes the above game all the more impressive. Starting with some nice muta/scourge action into queens and ensnare, the game takes a weird turn, and between them these two sons of the swarm also make devourers, hydras, defilers (and thus, use dark swarm and plague) and finally, ultralisks. In other words, The Full (Zerg) Monty. A celebration of everything the swarm has to offer, this ZvZ is a must watch for any Broodwar fan.

Facing down fOrGG's signature build, the 2Fac, Kal responded with one of the most rarely seen units in professional Broodwar, the Scout. Facing down their supposed hard counters, Turrets and Goliaths, Kal's Scouts, combined with some Dark Templars managed nonetheless to fend off an intimidating Terran push while devastating fOrGG's infrastructure. By the time Kal's Arbiter tech came out, the game was already won by his unconventional strategy of teching to units that his opponent has already countered.

The MSL was the battleground for a storied rivalry based around the Hero and Devil; nicknames that Reach and Kingdom have been dubbed respectively. In this game, the two veterans of Protoss display the always-classic high-tech PvP games that they produce against each other in what is arguably the twilight of their careers.

If it were any other Zerg playing against Bisu in this game, they would have crumbled and lost. The inordinate levels of harassment and multitasking that Bisu displayed were an incredible sight to watch. However, against the odds, Jaedong stuck his foot to the ground and managed to overcome Bisu's incredible advantage. This game is an utterly jaw-dropping display of back and forth action from two pioneers of the modern game.

Master of Ceremonies, Firebathero, after building his career on decimating and humiliating Savior, faced down Savior's fellow Entusman Much. With a reputation for calm, careful play and a mannered attitude, Much surprised everyone with one of the most famous ceremonies in Broodwar history. After nearly thirty minutes of solid play securing his victory, Much shocked everyone by avenging his teammate Savior with a giant heart composed of 16 Pylons and 14 Cannons erected in the middle of the map, a taunting message to Firebathero and all aspiring ceremonialists.

Starcraft is a young man's game. After a certain age, synapses start to fire more slowly, and fingers cease to dance as quickly as before. Thus, watching a veteran play a younger player in his prime is a fascinating affair. You can see that the old man knows what he has to do, but his hands can't execute the things his brain is telling them. You can see his strategy is based around this fact, so he plays a slower paced game where he can take time to make decisions, where split second reactions will not decide the outcome. Meanwhile, the young man is ruthless. He knows that behind the old man's strong mind is a weak body. He will attack fast and strong, test those aged reflexes to their limit, and give no quarter. Though he respects the past, the young man knows he has no time to waste. Because one day, he will be that old man.

Jaedong, sitting undisputed atop the Zerg throne, looked to make his third consecutive MSL finals appearance. However, in the height of the Six Dragons era, no Protoss was to be underestimated. Coming in as the huge underdog, free nevertheless took the series to the final set, and there, proceeded to dismantle Jaedong in a drawn out PvZ where the ultimate combination of Protoss high tech units - Archons, Reavers, and High Templar - were used in all their glory. As countless Zerg units rushed to their doom against the impenetrable Protoss death-ball, free claimed his victory, and an all-Protoss semifinals gave proof to the Protoss dominance of this era.

Over five years past his peak dominance, the Genius Terran returned to take one last shot at a tournament title. Meanwhile, perpetually playing second-fiddle to other Protosses, Jangbi sought to take his place at the top of the six Dragons. This clash between ancient legend and aspiring talent gave rise to one of the best PvT series in history. The first game alone showcased near flawless mechanics, timings, and strategies, setting the stage for a breathtaking series.

15

JJu vs Kingdom on Luna in the You Are the Golf King MSL (Loser's Round of 8 - Game 1)

Thirty minutes into this hour long PvZ, a four base Protoss was reduced to a two base Protoss as five bases' worth of Ultras and Zerglings razed the Protoss main and natural. Facing down a five base Hive tech Zerg with just two bases may seem like impossible odds, but Kingdom persevered and managed to build up a monstrous army of Carriers, Archons, and Dark Archons. Despite mining out 9 bases, the Zerg army could not match the frightening combination of Mind Control and two groups of Archons supported with a massive air force. By the time the hour was up, JJu could only watch helplessly as what was possibly the strongest Protoss death ball in Broodwar history tore down base after base of empty Zerg buildings in a stellar comeback victory for Kingdom.

Long past the height of his reign, the Terran Emperor still entertained us with his signature flair. Zerg powerhouse Chojja was overwhelmed by Boxer's multipronged micro offensive. Dropping three fronts at once, "Boxer's Triple Play" was a perfect example of Boxer's unrelenting harass and aggression. In an age of macro and management, Boxer allowed his minerals to float to an astounding four digits as he microed three separate fronts and ended the game right then, proving that there was room yet for micro and tactics.

After falling to Savior in the previous MSL, Nal_Ra sought to challenge the supremacy of the Zerg Bonjwa in this rematch of the rivalry that has been dubbed "The Holy War." After nearly a full hour of confrontations with the advantage having switched countless times throughout the game, a mined out map faced both players. With a full tech maxed army to each player's credit, the game was decided not by an epic confrontation (though the game had no shortage of them), nor concession of defeat, but by a single building in a corner of the map.

Flash and Jaedong, the Boxer and YellOw of modern Starcraft, need no introduction. At the time of this final, both players were at peak condition, and were the undisputed top two players in the scene. With one game to each of their credit in the series, a legendary ZvT unfolded. The game progressed tensely for thirty minutes without a clear victor, and just as the situation started to sway, the screen darkened. The audience let out a collective sigh of confusion after waiting with bated breath for the final confrontation only to be greeted by darkness. One of the greatest ZvTs in history will be left forever with not a period but a question mark at its end.

In his fifth consecutive MSL final, with three MSLs and an OSL under his belt, Savior looked to dispatch the upstart Protoss with ease. Bisu, foolish enough to challenge Savior in his best matchup, was the unanimous underdog. Anything other than a 3-0 would be a miracle. There were no miracles that day - the games were quick, concise, but not painless. As if in awe, Savior tried game after game to seize what had always come so naturally to him - victory; and game after game, the Protoss army stopped every advance the Zerg tried to make, and victory eluded the then-Bonjwa. The revolution had begun.

In another drawn-out ZvP confrontation, teammates Reach and Chojja mined out Rush Hour over the course of an hour. After the smoke cleared from an action-packed game, both players were down to one last army, waiting for one big confrontation. A formidable airforce of Guardians and Devourers threatened to overwhelm the Protoss army. True to his name, however, the "Shaman Protoss" Reach utilized the Protoss spellcaster arsenal to its maximum potential to wipe out the Zerg fleet in flawless fashion.

Some of the games in this list have deep historical meaning. They represent the passing of the guard, a last spurt from a veteran, or an iconic moment in MSL history. In the case of this game, we would really love for everyone to just watch it, without any context or explanation. Every extra word that is written gives away more of the story, one that should be enjoyed unspoiled from start to finish. I've already said too much. Please, watch this game.

When Ver devotes an entire subsection to describing a game, you know it's good. What can we say? Nothing in Starcraft has come to represent evil and greed quite like the entrenched siege-tank line. When a player breaks through what seemed like an impenetrable line, we feel that good has prevailed. Though Savior later proved to be anything but good, he carried that banner for all the Zerg faithful on one fateful evening in 2006.

Without a doubt, the best PvP game the MSL has ever seen. In the final battle that would decide the MSL champion, the two top Protosses of the time clashed spectacularly, both utilizing the power of the Protoss arsenal to its utmost capability against the other. Unfortunately, for Stork, this match marked his induction into the Kong Line, as he tragically forgot to upgrade his Dragoon Range, subsequently losing several important engagements where he had a larger army, and eventually had to cede the game and the MSL gold to Bisu.

"Forget about whether "anyone could have done it." Nal_rA actually did it in full competition in front of a live audience and the execution was perfect. And it so wowed the crowd and the game commentators, all you can hear for the final minute of the game is nothing but screams of joy and astonishment. It still sends chills up my spine watching it.

Former pro gamer [NC]Rookie was one of the commentators for that game and he had this to say afterwards: "Of course, the Arbiter Hallucination Recall is a strat that's been talked about in theory for a while now among Starcraft players. But, the chances of it working at this level of play is so remote, it was never considered a viable strategy at the pro competition level. What Nal_rA did was so amazing because of how perfectly he executed such a risky move."

Best SC moment of the year for me so far."

- mensrea in 2004

5

GoRush vs NaDa on Luna in the You Are the Golf King MSL (Final - Game 1)

Though it's better known as the "AHHHH PLAYGUUUU!!!!" game, this is also one of the iconic games from the glory days of TvZ, before the late-mech innovation turned the match-up into a war of attrition. Even though Gorush and Nada waged a massive war that spread across the entire map, they both played with the aggression typical of a shorter, smaller game. It was high speed combat at the grandest scale, and no quarter was given.

Savior's dominance was challenged by a young upstart Terran who goes on to become one of the biggest names in Broodwar history. Firebathero started his career as a fan favorite with this game, one of the longest in MSL history. Nearly every unit in the Terran and Zerg arsenal was used in this clash that ignited a storied rivalry.

Perhaps the highest level TvT of all time and the start to one of the greatest series ever, Flash and Fantasy battled for over half an hour in a rare match where the tension and action never let up. While the play itself was superb, the game also represented a decisive clash between different styles and strengths: the continuous initiative-seeking and ruthless exploitation of Fantasy, versus the defense and foresight of Flash. With the constant shifting of fortunes and great decisions throughout the game on both sides, this game is one of the best representations of the sheer complexity of Starcraft strategy. It is also one of the rare games where one can confidently say that a great player lost to a brilliant one with few real blunders.

This irrational and chaotic game occurred at around the peak of both player's abilities. Yellow had just beaten Nada, the reigning Bonjwa, while oov was just starting his ascent to being the most dominating player in the history of the game. iloveoov himself fondly recalled this as his favorite game.

oov took a commanding lead with strong play from the outset but proceeded to squander mighty armies with trademark microless marines against Yellow's traps. From then the game devolved into a miserly war between two depleted economies, which saw Yellow's penny-pinching harassment test itself against oov's resiliency and creativity. Both players were forced to long distance mine and the ending came down to a handful of lurkers and lings ambushing distance mining scvs against a tank, dropship, and marine.

No Bonjwas, champions, or legends in this game. No storied clashes between ancient rivals or revolutionary strategies were being paraded here. Here was simply Broodwar, at once familiar and exotic. The units that each of us knows so intimately well, presented in a whole new light. Figments of familiar strategies, amalgamated into something completely alien to us. Wraiths, Mind Control, Nukes, and just about every other novel trick was presented here, not as a gimmick, but as a truly unique strategy.

Memories from the Trenches

By: Manifesto7

It always felt as though the MSL played the role of younger brother to the bigger, better established OSL. Especially for early fans on TeamLiquid, the names Gillette OSL, Coca Cola OSL, and Panasonic OSL rang true compared to the less known names attached to the TriGem or UZOO MSLs. In coverage too, there was a strong OSL bias on TeamLiquid for years.

Some of this was practical, as it was easier to watch the OSL in the days before YouTube, and some of it was institutional. The OSL was the "real" starleague, and that was reflected by writers of the time. Watching the games, it was hard to argue the fact. OGN worked on presenting StarCraft in a studio, with ever improving presentation. The MSL? They shot the games in a mall courtyard.

In 2006 both tournaments were still being shot at the COEX mall, but while the OSL enjoyed the luxury of a proper studio, the MSL was set up in a causeway. While the OSL could pan over its audience and show groups of excited fans, the MSL often featured old women laden down with groceries passing by in the background. And while the OSL had their players play on stage, the players in the MSL had to walk through the mall from their dressing room and play in a Plexiglas octagon. With junior high schoolgirls and bespectacled boys breathing over their shoulders, and the Pringles man shaking his can, the fates of these players were decided.

Starcraft laid claim to "The Octagon" long before mixed martial arts popularized it.

As time passed the venues changed, but the discrepancy remained the same. The OSL moved into a much larger and more modern studio that could seat hundreds. The MSL moved to the earthy mall outside of town and featured its dimly lit stage. To the casual viewer, the difference was obvious, but not so for the true fans. Once the MSL became more accessible to us on TL, there came a quiet understanding. In general, the MSL games were better, and the tournaments were better. While the OSL brought out their concept maps that had to be abandoned mid-season, the MSL maps delivered great games time and again. With the passing of time the history became rich, and the legacies of iloveoov, Savior, and Bisu were cemented not in the OSL and their gimmicky golden mouse, but in the MSL.

In recent years the OSL continues to succeed and draw in sponsors such as Korean Air and Shinhan bank, while the MSL has struggled with BigFile and Avalon, but at the same time the OSL has become more corporate. The gamers interact with the fans in predetermined "signings" after the game, and then are quickly rushed out the back of the studio. Gone are the days of COEX where Boxer, rA, and even Yooi would take time after their games to talk and sign with fans as they walked back to their rooms. The OSL may seat hundreds, but only at the MSL the players can read your signs.

Experience the MSL Through its Champions:

Select a Player Above

As an individual league, the MSL has long stood as an arena for the best players of Brood War to compete at the highest level. Providing the scene with a benchmark upon which to measure the greatest minds of Starcraft, the MSL can be well understood through its most dominant players. In addition to their transcendent mechanical skill and strategic ingenuity, the best players possess a fundamental understanding of the game that eludes even their most fierce competitors.

But who is the most dominant? Debates rage on regarding who among the many players to ascend the ranks of the various Starcraft leagues are worthy of titles such as "The Greatest of All Time" and "Bonjwa." In their time, five players have proven time and again that their place at the top is indisputable.

NaDa. iloveoov. sAviOr. Bisu. Flash.

Each of them, 3 time MSL winners. Each of them, winners of the Golden Badge.

The history of the MSL is vast and storied, but perhaps the best way to capture the spirit of the tournament is to follow the storylines of its most decorated champions.

Lee Yoon Yeol: Nada

By: WaxAngel

The Golden Badge was an award given to the five progamers who had won three MBCGame Starcraft League championships in their careers. It was more than just a statistical milestone, or else it would not deserve its own dedicated section as we celebrate the memory of MBCGame. My colleagues will be more than happy to relive the tales of Golden Badges two through five, but we must start at the beginning to understand its meaning and significance.

Like most sufficiently legendary entities, Lee "Nada" Yoon Yeol carries an aura of timelessness. Six championships, six hundred career wins, and the title of greatest to ever play the game. It's hard to imagine a time before these immortal feats truly existed, and such a time surely must have been a wild, untamed age.

That’s not as far from the truth as it might sound. Nada appeared on the radar in 2001, the last year of Korean Brood War's wild west. It was a time before replays, when such things as hidden gosus truly existed, and small organizations found it worth their while to try and ride the wave of Starcraft's astounding popularity in South Korea. Names such as Game-Q, iTV, GameTV, KIGL have long since gone the way of the 2-Gate zealot opener, but they were an ideal space for an aspiring professional gamer to hone his skills.

Nada was a revelation from the start, and his reputation quickly grew as he defeated numerous OnGameNet Starleague (OSL) alumni during his journey through the wilds. Without ever stepping foot in the OSL – disproportionately the most popular and important tournament at the time – he had become a household name among Starcraft fans. By the time Nada got to GemBC (the previous incarnation of MBCGame), he was expected to do big things. He was the rock band that had already killed on the indie circuit, and the question was not if, but when he would stop playing in basements and burst out into the mainstream.

Though it wasn't something to be declared with resounding confidence, the opening season of the 2002 KPGA Tour on the new gaming channel GemBC qualified as 'mainstream.' GemBC had held four previous monthly KPGA tours as dress rehearsals before ramping up the prize money and scale of the tours to compete directly with the OnGameNet Starleague. As a dedicated cable channel, it had the reach to compete with OnGameNet unlike the many online-only contenders. Also, the MBC (one of Korea's major broadcast networks) and KPGA (the previous incarnation of KeSPA) brand names lent some weight to an otherwise untested organization. What they really needed, though, was a great story to fuel to the league along, something OnGameNet was already proving as a necessity in a young industry. In other words, they needed the most rapidly rising player in Korea to drop some jaws.

Alas, after taking down a few more OSL Stars in Chrh and TheMarine, Nada suffered early elimination from the 1st KPGA Tour at the hands of an in-his-prime IntoTheRain. Fortunately for GemBC, they were able to find their storyline for success elsewhere. Boxer defeated Yellow in the finals, allowing the two mega-stars of progaming to continue their growing rivalry and giving GemBC the spotlight it needed (we would learn much later that the formula of Boxer 1st, Yellow 2nd truly did validate the first KPGA tour as a legitimate major tournament). Though it looked like a failure for Nada at the time, in retrospect it simply set a grander stage for history to be made upon.

Nada tore through the 2nd KPGA Tour and took home his first championship. The next season, he took home another. And the season after that, he did it one more time.

Admittedly, there is a distinct lack of narrative. However, that is due to there being only one narrative that really mattered; Nada was unstoppable. Nada's finals opponents were Yellow, Reach, and Chojja, three of the best progamers to ever play. He out-produced, out-controlled, and out-strategized them all. Over his three championship runs, Nada's record was 33 wins and 10 losses.

It is difficult to say that one thing made Nada such a dominant player. One could point to the fact that he was one of the first players with truly superior mechanics, which allowed him to be better than his opponents at essentially every aspect of the game. The most frequent criticism levelled against Nada's play was that it was so efficient that it lacked personality, as if Nada were a machine created solely to win at Starcraft.

His macro was his most visible strength, and he routinely won games because his opponents simply had never seen so many units at certain timings. As strange as it might seem in a world with macro-monsters such as Flash, Best and Zero, "Nada on two bases" was an early colloquialism for someone with a lot of units.

On the other hand, he had the best micro as well. Though Boxer was the player who made micro famous, Nada took all of the Emperor's marine splits, vulture tactics, dropship harassment, etc. and made them routine. Nada had a knack for finding undefended workers, and could as easily win a game through harassment as he could through a head on engagement.

To round it off, Nada was a brilliant thinker as well. Though he could beat anyone in a straight-up game, he cheesed enough to keep his opponents honest and collect the easy win when it was available. In one of his most famous games, where he actually was out-macroed by PvT specialist ForU, he came back from a dire situation by staying calm and understanding his limited advantages. Though ForU had fifty gateways and map control, Nada knew that turtling, upgrading, and waiting for the Protoss player to defeat himself was the solution – all before Flash had ever built his first tank.

In short, Nada microed more, macroed more, in more places and in a smarter way than his opponents. It was one of those rare periods in progaming where a player made it look like he was playing an entirely different game from his opponents. Boxer had done it in 2001 with his micro; Nada in 2002 achieved it with every facet of his play.

In 2002, it was difficult to know what to make of it all. Without seeing hundreds more careers, no one could know that they would never see anyone quite like Nada again. Without seeing so many of those careers come and go without reaching the ultimate goal, no one could fully the appreciate the value of a single championship, let alone three (long story short: in 2002, Yellow and his fans still thought he had a chance). And certainly, there was no way to know that the KPGA Tour would live on for ten more years as the MBCGame Starcraft League, with only the most elite players ever tying the record for three championships again.

As it turned out, Nada wasn't just writing history for himself. Nada was giving MBCGame the foundation for the identity it would carry to its final day: He who dominated the MSL dominated all of progaming.

Once Nada ceased to be the undisputed best player in the world, he stopped winning MSLs. While Nada would remain an excellent player for years, he would never again be the dominant player he was in 2002. Nada's competitors had learned from him and the way he played the game, and had all grown stronger as a result. Though Nada reached the MSL finals for the fourth straight time in 2003, he was decisively outplayed and shut out by the crafty Nal_Ra, marking the end of an era. Slowly but surely, with every passing OSL and MSL, with every one-time champion that never recaptured his momentary glory, with every day the Nada didn't seem quite as dominant as he did in 2002, it became more and more obvious that what he had achieved was truly incredible.

Later, whenever the MSL was conquered and forced to surrender another Golden Badge, it would only be to dominating, game changing players who had achieved the same level of excellence in their times. iloveoov, who took the concept of economic superiority to its limits, Savior, the disgraced master of strategy and tactics, Bisu, who re-invented a match-up that had been static for seven years, and Flash, a machine that synthesized every lesson of the past into what resembles perfection. These players shared the aura of absolute superiority Nada had at his time. By joining his company, they did not dilute the MSL tradition, they only furthered it.

Since his MSL debut, Nada has gone on to have a storied career of ten years. He capped off 2002 by winning an OnGameNet Starleague as well, having won a record four championships in a single year. Further down the line, he would receive another rare award in completely different circumstances, by winning a Golden Mouse (awarded to three time OSL winners) as the representative of the long eclipsed, but still defiant first generation of Korean progamers. Later still, he would even grace the stage of an entirely different game, becoming a top level Starcraft II player at an age where most of his colleagues would have retired.

Throughout this time, his legacy is still inevitably tied with GeMBC. Dozens of announcers have bellowed his nickname, "Genius Terran," over stages around the world. Each time, it reflects his origins. For the name was coined at a time when the meaning was closer to "prodigy," when an eighteen year old progamer was making history in the MSL.

Choi Yun Sung: iloveoov

By: Ver

Choi Yeon-Sung, also known as iloveoov, had the most meteoric rise of any player in Starcraft history with his triple MSL win. iloveoov qualified for the Trigem MSL at the very beginning of his career, won it, and never looked back. However, iloveoov lost in the very first round to Nada, the reigning best player in the world. At that point, iloveoov was just another nobody, a first-time player who luckily managed to qualify. Yet, after being knocked into the losers’ bracket in round one, iloveoov tore through and humiliated every opponent, including getting revenge against Nada 3-1 in the loser's finals.

He went on to 3-0 Yellow, who was then in the best form of his life, having previously beaten Nada for the first time. However, oov's Trigem victory was just the beginning. From Trigem to Spris, he accumulated a terrifying record and placed himself as the leading player of his era. Overall, his triple MSL victory featured the toughest set of opponents anyone has ever had to face back-to-back.

He repeatedly squared off against Bonjwa of the time Nada, while taking down other current champions or finalists in peak form like Yellow, rA, July, and Kingdom. His ELO record of 2353, a number incomparable to those of any of his contemporary rivals and only eclipsed by Flash/Jaedong/Bisu thanks to rampant inflation, signifies just how far ahead of the pack he was and just what he had to overcome in his MSL runs. No player has ever held such a league record against the very tip-top competition.

35-8 Overall (81.4%)

8-3 vP (73%)16-5 vT (76%)11-0 vZ (100%)

So how did iloveoov do it? What made him so special? Perhaps the most obvious reason is his mind set. In every area you could compare, oov was different from other players. oov was and is an outspoken, honest person who never hesitated in saying what he believed was right. He has never lacked confidence in public, always believed in himself, and made damn sure that other players knew it. In this area, he was a role model for another future champion, Savior.

"In my interviews, I just say exactly what is on my mind. Although I know that there are progamers who are overly timid or modest because they’re afraid of getting flamed on the internet, I don’t think that’s appropriate so whenever I see Yun-sung hyung’s (iloveoov) interviews I often think that he is worthy of respect."-Savior

Yet that brash, confident exterior was also part of the picture. In private, oov didn't aim specifically at winning or being the best. He simply focused on the game itself, not on other "minor" concerns. This approach is quite unconventional, like much about iloveoov, yet one cannot argue with his success.

"When I didn’t try to win, I started to play better, and I ended up winning. That’s my style."-oov

"When I was on my dominant streak, I have never thought myself as the best player, nor did I think I would win any leagues. Maybe that’s because I won!"-oov

Yet this alone is not enough to explain his success, so let's look at his victories from another angle. While oov was very good at keeping himself fuelled, at his best he also excelled in making his opponents play worse. This is most apparent when looking at his lopsided record against Nada of 17-6. oov repeatedly beat Nada down, the best player of all time, when Nada was still around the peak of his abilities. This wasn’t due to a difference in player skill; it was because iloveoov was just that much smarter.

"During your peak, you lost a lot to sAviOr and iloveoov. Who was the harder one to face? A: iloveoov was harder because of his mind games. He was also too tall."

"I've always had great respect for oov's play, I think I'm a little lacking to be called his rival. oov has a better overall feel(vision) for the game - that's something I would like to learn."

"iloveoov hyung would be the most difficult opponent. I think iloveoov hyung will think I’m easy. Because he’s also good at mindgames, I keep thinking I’ll just be beaten"-Nada

This phenomenon held true against players other than Nada as well. Many of iloveoov's famous victories make little sense on the surface. Frequently it appeared that his opponents would simply be playing into oov's hands for no apparent reason. oov often looked like he was maphacking, managing seemingly blind build order counters and consistently coming out ahead. In the Spris finals against his teammate Kingdom, Kingdom went for a DT drop on the island map Parallel Lines in both games 1 and 5, and both times oov correctly predicted this move and easily held with detection and a fast expansion.

In other cases, such as his famous marine split game versus July, oov would apply a more thorough principle. Specifically, he would show his opponent a consistent illusion that would mislead them into thinking oov was doing a certain build, then oov would do something else, something entirely designed to defeat his opponent's predicted response.

In this game against July oov faked a 2 rax academy expansion, a build with which he had remained undefeated with against the best Zergs, and instead went for an older 2 rax tech build with a much later expansion. July played a greedy style, aiming to get ahead of oov economically, and oov consistently shut down his economy by always having a superiority of force at the right moments. Later on in his life he explained how he could consistently create such dangerous builds and win games so often in one of the most illuminating interviews out there:

"This is what build orders mean to me: there is no perfect strategy, and in a situation where there are weaknesses, holes and solutions, there is a limit to how much you can hide your cards from your opponent. It is more effective to actively manipulate the opponent to commit to an ill-founded assumption, so they are caught off-guard with my actual game-play, and my chances of winning are increased. This is where factors outside of the game come into play and help you decide on your build order."-oov

oov's victories made him known as the "Cheater Terran," because he did what nobody believed was possible at the time. Frequently, he would just seem to have more units than conceivable, as if he were cheating and making them out of thin air. This ability came from his aptitude for forcing his opponents to follow his lead all game long and making them fight in game plans he had designed and knew inside and out.

In his Cengame finals against Nada, oov won games 4 and 5 by quickly gathering siege tanks and pushing Nada's natural. This early threat made Nada afraid, but instead of committing to the hasty and premature push, oov expanded twice and held his ground. By the time Nada correctly ascertained oov's strategy and broke out, oov already had an overwhelming force and crushed Nada with a mass of units.

A typical iloveoov game: lots and lots of stuff

The MSL made iloveoov's dazzling rise to fame and colorful storyline possible. Despite its Korean reputation as an inferior tournament, compared to the OSL (due to production value, lack of drama, and other largely superficial concerns) the MSL has been the breeding ground of champions. The OSL, while viewed as the more prestigious tournament, possessed a more luck-based format and random map selections whose only consistent trait was their lack of balance. Yet no player in the OSL ever could look this scary:

That is simply dominance

For much of its history, the MSL ran with a dual elimination format. This aspect was a crucial factor in iloveoov's first title victory, where he lost to Nada in the very first round but proceeded to beat down every single opponent, including Nada and Yellow, from the losers’ bracket. The MSL system also made sure that iloveoov's second and third title victories were against the very best players, not whoever happened to be the luckiest.

Not only did the MSL give iloveoov his deserved second chance at a victory in the Trigem MSL, but it also made sure that he earned every one of his victories. Compared to the rigors that oov faced in the old MSL system, the modern league formats that let Jaedong win a Starleague over Yellow[arnc], Calm over Kwanro, or Flash over Movie seem like something of a joke. The MSL was crucial in establishing oov's legacy and, at least for some time, making players really earn their titles, thus creating the best storylines. For that, if nothing else, it deserves appreciation.

Ma Jae Yoon: sAviOr

By: Xxio

I met a traveller from an antique landWho said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,Tell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:And on the pedestal these words appear:"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bareThe lone and level sands stretch far away. - Ozymandias

Professional Starcraft is a new phenomenon with decades of growth to come; it is only in recent years that even the first line of Korean professionals have begun to end their gaming careers. The age of esports is at its dawn. Yet, in the past decade, it has developed a history rich in culture, and while there are many gains to be made in the world of progaming, there are also achievements that can never be surpassed. For the progamer of today and ad infinitum, there will always be the ceiling that is Ma Jae-Yoon.

No other name in esports evokes such a myriad of memories and emotions. The godfathers of the Terran race, Boxer, Nada, and iloveoov, defined progaming in their prime. Savior broke them. He usurped Oov's throne and had the world eating out of the palm of his hand. Boxer, Nada, iloveoov, Nal_ra, and Reach would never again be dominant, or truly contend, in professional Brood War. Savior's unprecedented style of play and clear transcendence ended their era and created his own.

The MSL was Savior's proving ground. In his reign from 2005-2007 he played in every MSL final, finishing first three times and second, twice. The MSL was where he made fundamental strategic innovations and became the Savior of Zerg. By making the MSL the theatre of his legend, he defined the league as much as it defined him. Until the advent of Kim Taek-Yong in 2007, the MSL booth was the seat of Savior's power. In that booth, he was king.

The Digital Age is reshaping the world. Modern technology gives agency to billions and defines cultures, and yet, there will always be an inability to recreate the glories of the past. The likes of the Roman Empire, the Tang Dynasty, and Classical Greece will never again be seen. Indeed, how can we compare? For how long will we live in the shadow of these great civilizations? In esports, the shadow of Ma Jae-Yoon is long, and Brood War's longer still. Though esports is still in its infancy, it is arguable that Ma Jae-Yoon and the Bonjwas before him created its golden age.

Kim Taek Yong: Bisu

By: disciple

The year of my high-school graduation, 2007, was utter bliss; I had the most wonderful time of my life, most of it spent with my buddies. It was also the year I found out about the Korean BW proscene and, just like anyone introduced to something exciting and exotic, I was consumed by it.

My first MSLs in 2007 were deeply personal experiences – they marked my passion for the entire universe of esports, one specific progamer and TeamLiquid in general. Those memories are the reason I'm telling you all this, they’re the reason I'm here today, and the reason I don't want to go anywhere else.

The Golden Badge winners’ club consists of only the brightest and most dominant players the Korean BW scene has ever produced. It wouldn't do his accomplishments any justice if I were to say Bisu doesn't belong to this exclusive club, but unlike the Bonjwas before him, Bisu never managed to establish his own long lasting reign of dominance.

His career, from glorious triumphs to lamentable losses, has been marked by the huge expectations the community has of him; just like all great champions, Bisu was challenged to prove his worth in every tournament he has attended. Ultimately, this has resulted in some of the most significant and memorable moments of the MSL.

Bisu's meteoric rise to stardom began during the 2007 GOMTV Season 1 MSL. By then Kim Taek Yong was already considered a prodigious young Protoss player with a solid performance in the Proleague for his team – MBC. With a loss to the Protoss legend nal_ra, followed by wins over the Terran powerhouses Iris and Canata, Bisu had managed to make it through a very hard group in the Ro16. The Ro8 was to be no easier, with the MSL format placing him in a group with two more Terran players – the rising stars Hwasin and Light, as well as an MSL runner up in the form of the Zerg player, Silver. Bisu managed to overcome the odds in fine style and stage was set for a rematch with nal_ra in the final.

The community was on the side of the Dreamer; a win would mean he’d face his nemesis, Savior, in long awaited continuation of their Holy Wars. The underdog shocked everyone though, as Bisu easily bested nal_ra 3-0 in their encounter. It seemed as though everything was lining up for a fourth title in Savior’s fifth consecutive final appearance.

The Starcraft fan's memory is a funny thing though; the scene is so dynamic that months and years can feel like aeons. Events from just three or four years ago are considered legends. In the end, people will always remember how Anytime denied Boxer his golden mouse, how the legend of fall in the OSL was born, and how Flash managed to beat Stork in about half an hour to take his first OSL title.

We all remember the events, but no one remembers the dates. There's one exception though, and that’s 3.3.2007.

The games themselves, and the PvZ revolution that Bisu's win over the Maestro prompted, have been much discussed. Even if we detach ourselves from the significance of the metagame shift that followed those games, the Bisu vs Savior final of GOMTV MSL Season 1 is the most famous, and arguably the most important, match in the history of BW. It marked the end of the so-called Golden Age and the beginning of the last chapter in the scene's development.

Outplaying a Bonjwa in a Bo5 against all odds is, without doubt, the most bombastic way for a newcomer to make his mark in the scene. Following the historic trend of succession, the new poster boy of the scene, Bisu, was to show that he is not just flash in the pan. The upcoming GOMTV MSL Season 2 was eagerly anticipated by the community – it was to answer the question, was there a new Protoss superstar in the making, or would the Maestro reclaim his throne?

Still, Bisu was not alone leading the Protoss race renaissance. After advancing out of his group, defeating Bisu in the process, CJ captain OverSky enlisted in the army, leaving his Ro8 bracket spot vacant. In the resulting Wild Card tournament, the Protoss Commander Stork managed to earn a second chance at the title. Meanwhile, on the upper side of the bracket, a shocking result had been produced as the TvZ specialist firebathero bested the Maestro himself in a thrilling Bo5, ensuring that the MSL finals streak of Savior would not continue.

After another win over Light in the Ro16, the reigning champion Bisu was up against the Red Sniper, Hwasin. Since both iloveoov and Nada had fallen from grace, no player had quite been able to recapture the brilliance of the Bonjwa Terrans. Still, it's fair to say that in 2007 Hwasin was playing the best Starcraft of his life – even managing to take the 2007 Korean WCG over Stork.

Bisu was equal to the challenge though, managing a 3-2 victory in a knife-edge series, and keeping his back-to-back MSL dreams alive. The following semi-final against GoRush had the feel of formality, as Bisu's PvZ had been summarily dismissing Zerg opponents since the 3.3 Revolution. In order to be the first Protoss player ever to win back-to-back MSL titles, Bisu would have to the defeat the Commander, Stork.

The full weight of the community’s attention was focused on this final, with both players taking completely different approaches to the race they were playing. It was the energetic style of Bisu, focused on his trademark multitasking, versus the calm and deeply methodical play of Stork.

If Bisu vs Savior had been a bombshell, Bisu vs Stork was better still. Fans and tournament organizers couldn't have hoped for a better final. The two Protoss stars traded wins in epic games, setting the stage for a fifth and final game worthy of bardic song and poetry. Over the course of a nail-biting, ball-sweating, 50-minute game, Bisu was able to force Stork into submission. The first Protoss back-to-back MSL champion and KeSPa #1 was a reality. After years of struggling in vain, there was finally a Protoss hope.

Sure enough, Bisu soon got his chance to seal his Bonjwa claims and finally establish himself as the undisputed best player in the world. Full of confidence, during the Ro16 of GOMTV MSL Season 3 he was able to win yet another close match with his Terran rival and so called "Insurance" Hwasin. In truth, it was a match Bisu was expected to lose, but, in that way that real champions have, he was able to somehow pull through.

Up until the final, the bracket had been a breeze for Bisu, with this MSL turning out to be the swan song of a couple of old Starcraft legends, with both nal_ra and XellOs generally considered long past their prime. So, after smashing Kwanro and easily overcoming XellOs in the semi-final, Bisu was yet again in a match for the title, breaking all records about Protoss player performance in the MSL.

At this point though, the comparisons between the Revolutionist and the other warriors of Auir were irrelevant; all that mattered was whether or not Bisu would go on to become the fifth Bonjwa. The other side of the tournament bracket was a real dogfight, with Savior and Stork trying to earn their shot at revenge against Bisu. Surprisingly, it was the young Terran player Mind who made it to the final, a fantastic feat considering he had to overcome two Bonjwas (iloveoov and Savior) along the way.

The Golden Badge had been forged – all arrangements for Bisu's Bonjwa coronation were made. The Revolutionist, holding his hands high, kissing his 3rd consecutive MSL trophy, and all was well, all was right with the world... but somehow, it wasn’t to be.

The real outcome was no less perfect, no less right. In true Cinderella style, the dark horse Mind denied Bisu his birthright, completing his extraordinary tournament run. Bisu's weakness, his PvT, was exposed as Mind played perfectly against him, adapting his style to the stale and predictable play of the Revolutionist. As shocking as this defeat was, Bisu's Bonjwa claim and MSL dominance were not yet put to rest.

During the next MSL’s group selection ceremony, Bisu decided, with his wounded pride, that it would be best to quickly re-establish his authority in the scene by challenging the fresh royal roader, and rising Zerg star, Jaedong. As in the cases of his triumphs against Savior and Stork, Bisu crashed and burned in fine style. He lost an epic game to Jaedong on Blue Storm and was eliminated soon afterward. Jaedong on the other hand proceeded to win the tournament, beating the reigning champion, Mind, and his soon-to-be arch-rival Flash on the way.

Feeling the prize slip through his fingers during the group stage of 2008 Arena MSL, Bisu desperately tried to get his revenge on Jaedong, but the Revolutionist's play was weak and uninspiring, all the flare of his groundbreaking PvZ against Savior had long since dimmed. It became increasingly clear that Bisu couldn't establish long-lasting dominance against the new heroes of the day – Jaedong and Flash. After just two group eliminations, people considered the Protoss champion finished, he was in a deep slump with his career shaping up to be one of missed opportunities and dashed hopes. Bisu needed time and a new environment to reinvent his play. Perhaps his transfer to the fading powerhouse - SK Telecom T1, was exactly the boost his career needed.

With the format changes introduced to the Proleague for the 08-09 season, all star players faced a new and different challenge. The tight team league weekly schedule, as well as the three individual leagues running at the same time, meant the amount of games played increased dramatically. Carrying KT and OZ respectively, Flash and Jaedong started posting inconsistent individual league results. Meanwhile, attempting to return to its former glory, SKT withdrew from the new GOMTV Starleague, focusing all of its players’ attention on the Proleague.

As it happened, playing fewer games and having less pressure on him had been exactly what Bisu needed. Entering the 08-09 ClubDay MSL, the Revolutionist was placed in a group with firebathero, as well as the two Protoss players, Much and BackHo. Unburdened by high expectations, Bisu managed to advance from the group after winning two mirror match-ups and losing to firebathero.

Coincidentally, in the Ro16 the Revolutionist was to face his old adversary, the Red Sniper Hwasin, now deep in a slump of his own. Community expectations of a close and thrilling encounter were dashed as Bisu easily overcame his Terran rival. Otherwise, the rest of the Ro16 was marked by total domination by Protoss players, the most notable of which being free’s elimination of Jaedong 2-1 in a close series. Bisu was recognised as the driving force behind this Protoss rejuvenation.

After smashing firebathero 3-0 in his Ro8 match, memorably humiliating him with scouts, Bisu was set for his first MSL semi-final in almost a year. The old flair and confidence was back, this was Bisu as fans remembered him. With all other MSL semi-finalists being Protoss players, and with Stork dominating the OSL, the community started talking about the Golden Age of Protoss and the Era of the 6 Dragons.

With a delay of almost a year, Bisu was finally able to take what belonged to him. Having defeated Free and JangBi, the Revolutionist was awarded the Golden Badge and became undoubtedly the most successful Protoss player of all time. Despite his MSL victory not being worthy of the Bonjwa title, the Golden Badge was ultimately what Bisu needed to regain the reputation a player of his talent and skill deserves.

Following his tournament triumph, Kim Taek Yong entered the most dominant period of his career, winning GOMTV Starleague Season 2, setting a personal winning streak record, reclaiming the top place in the KeSPa ranking as well as becoming #1 in the TLPD all-time ELO ranking. Proclaimed by Boxer himself as the best player in the world, Bisu became once again the subject of a heated Bonjwa debate in the community.

And the rest, as they say, is history. From mediocre team league player and individual league champion back in 2007, Bisu had become SKT's ace and banner-man in 2010 and 2011. His MSL performance on the other hand was nothing short of tragic. His elimination in every group stage meant that the only accolade he was afforded was that of Most Consecutive MSL Appearances, but the results, despite his obvious skills and high expectations, never returned him to the glory he’d known.

For all the MSLs he had attended, Bisu had only managed to make it out of the group stage on six occasions. In four of those six, he had reached the finals, three times a champion. The Revolutionist remained undefeated against Zerg and Protoss in the elimination stage of the MSL, a fact that only serves to highlight Bisu's infamous Achilles’ heel – his predictable and stale PvT.

Comparing Kim Taek Yong to the other great champions of the Golden Badge club, it's almost painfully obvious that, unlike the Bonjwas, Bisu was unable to overcome his weakness. The Revolutionist’s play leaves no one neutral though. While the MSL is generally considered the less prestigious tournament, Bisu has been responsible for the majority of memorable moments in its recent history.

Building expectations and drawing the best from his opponents, Kim Taek Yong has managed to constantly provoke the emotions of the fans – whether those emotions are immense disappointment or ecstatic joy. Even if the Golden Badge is a massive feat in its own right, it is the least the Revolutionist should had accomplished.

Lee Young Ho: Flash

By: riptide

If you've been on TL long enough, you will remember Flash as a rookie KT Terran who became famous for cheese. He most notably cheesed Bisu (on Monty Hall) in the Ro8 in the Daum OSL. This was long before Bacchus 2008, and long, long before we started arguing whether we should call him the B word. This was a very young Flash, the By.Baby of that era. Known for his cheese and criticised for being unable to handle longer games. It was his Bacchus 2008 win over Stork and his subsequent destruction of a string of GOM tournaments that made us look at Flash as a top progamer.

You know the rest. His golden mouse, his back-to-back individual league titles and, more importantly in this context, his golden badge, the result of three MSL wins, an achievement that puts him up there alongside the likes of Savior, Iloveoov, Nada and Bisu. It is worth noting that Jaedong doesn’t join him in this prestigious company and that, with no more MSLs to play, he never will. This is indeed poetic justice, especially when you consider that it was Jaedong who relegated him to a 2nd place finish in NATE 2009. It is a testament to Flash’s perseverance that he came back to win the Hana Daetoo Securities and Bigfile MSLs in 2010, both against Jaedong, and then solidify his MSL dominance forever by winning the ABC Mart MSL 2011, the last individual league ever to be run by MBCGame. In this achievement he nods to The Emperor himself, winner of the first KPGA tour in 2002. The predecessor of the MSL, KPGA tours #2, #3 and #4 and were won by NaDa, and through this hat-trick of wins Flash draws parallel with one of Broodwar’s greatest Terrans.

His stats speak for themselves.

On the other hand, when we look back on Flash’s career, we see much more than stats. We see a Terran who took the chaos of a post-Savior (and let’s just say it, post-Bonjwa) era and brought order to it. Flash is the culmination of years of Brood War development. If reports are true, Flash is also the apex of decades of biometrics research, and is in fact an asset of the Korean intelligence community, a trial of their next generation smart soldier.

Rumours aside, Flash is more than NaDa, more than Boxer, more than Iloveoov. His micro perfect, his macro impeccable, he is a more complete player than anyone before him. His decision-making is, in a word, perfect. He can play any opponent on any map and win convincingly. On an average day, the Ultimate Weapon is undefeatable. On a bad day, he will still give you a run for your money. In reality, we’re at a point in the development of the game where beating Flash is an achievement in itself. Some might say that the fact that he is in the golden badge club enhances the credibility of the MSL, and not vice versa.

With the MSL now dead and gone, and with the future of Professional Starcraft itself up in the air, we as Brood War fans can be thankful that this scene created someone of the likes of Lee Young Ho, a professional so good at what he does that his performance seems to break the very game.

It took more than a decade and thousands of games for it to happen, but we’re finally here. Nada, Savior, Iloveoov, Bisu are indeed the best of the best, and they have golden badges to prove it. However, only one player in the history of Starcraft has mastered every matchup, won every league and performed with a consistency that looks like it will go unrivalled for as long as the scene exists.

A Story of Success

By: Flamewheel

As I sit here typing, I can't help but feel a sense of irony. Nostalgia as well, but the irony precedes that. It's the eleventh hour, the proverbial time that is "almost too late," the time of frantic last-minute writing, of hastily compiled MSL news posts. Ironic then, yet fitting, that this final piece I write for the MBCGame StarCraft League coverage comes in at the last minute.

With that out of the way, now comes the nostalgia. Flash back to Christmas, a little more than two years ago; I was a high school senior at the time, revelling in my post-college application laziness. For the immediate future, there was nothing as important or pressing to accomplish as that which had just passed. And so, I found myself early Christmas morning sitting in front of my computer, anxiously waiting to watch my first live StarCraft match: EVER OSL 2009, Flash versus Jaedong in the quarterfinals. This match had been hyped up to extraordinary proportions, and as a Zerg player and Jaedong fan, I had hoped for the Tyrant to emerge victorious.

I was disappointed. In a dominating performance, Flash won the two necessary games, one with a brutal third-denying timing and the other with a carefully calculated rush, allowing him to move on to the semi-finals for forcing my Zerg hero into the ignominy of elimination. I didn't watch any of the following three matches that night, and only tuned in for Flash versus Calm when the tank line appeared. To this day, I haven't watched the EVER OSL 2009 finals, and I believe it is because of my "poor" first impression of the OSL that I have not paid it as much attention as it deserved.

But the MSL was a different story.

Starting from Jaedong's first game victory over Stats in the 2009 NATE MSL quarterfinals, through either watching live or from VODs, I have seen every MSL game since. I remember returning to school after Christmas break, sleep schedule broken, and making it a point to watch every MSL game live. I remember being amused over other spectators' outrage during the "We will meet in the finals" incident. I remember being absolutely sleep-deprived and incoherent for a debate tournament due to the Power Outage incident interminably prolonging the "fated final."

But above all, I remember when I first became attached to dealing with professional StarCraft as more than just a viewer. It wasn't through Proleague, or through watching old Pimpest Plays, or through reading the translated "Crazy Like Me." Because of the MSL, I am here today writing to you.

The months passed. In February of 2010, the preliminaries for the next MSL, sponsored by Hana Daetoo, were announced. I continued watching live matches voraciously, and in my spare time I delved deep into the TLPD archives for momentous matches in MSL history. BaBy beating Jaedong in the opening match for the Round of 32, Hydra unexpectedly triumphing over both BeSt and Stork using (unsurprisingly) hydras, Bisu failing to advance from the all-Protoss group, Flash dropping the first game to MVP in the quarterfinals—these are all memories I will cherish (or anguish over) for an eternity.

But the most notable point of the Hana Daetoo MSL came as a surprise to me; at that point in time, Pangshai was the MSL lead, and I was a new writer for Proleague coverage. Through machinations by Disciple, I had somehow been drafted to help with the pre-finals coverage piece, and then, the day before the Flash-Jaedong rematch, Pangshai disappeared off into the real world. For some reason, I ended up being the person to put the piece together, and it was released in the nick of time.

From that point on, I was the new MSL lead. I took up this new post with passion, but in the back of my mind a nagging voice always seemed to remind me: “You’re not good at StarCraft, you know nothing of its history, and you can’t analyze to save your life.” There was a point where TL was short of Brood War writing staff, and that coincided with my original burnout point. While I still watched all the matches, I was often remiss in my duties as a writer, and for that I apologize. Yet up till the very end, the rest of the MSL writing staff (as well as numerous guest writers) have provided top-notch coverage and the viewers and readers have remained positive and encouraging. And for that, I want to thank you all for being there.

In the past few years, we’ve passed through dark times, troubled periods we are not yet free from. Teams have disbanded, players have retired, and the MSL—one of the three major pillars in the professional StarCraft world—has now crumbled. MBC, as a game broadcasting station, is now no more. Whether or not the entirety of professional Brood War follows is, for now, uncertain. However, I urge you to think not of the MSL as an abruptly severed storyline; instead, view it as an almost decade-long phenomenon, stretching from the first KPGA Tour in 2002 to this most recent, uncompleted MSL.

As a tournament formed from a game that has far outlasted its projected lifespan, the MSL is not an uncompleted failure, but an unparalleled success. I can tell you this; as long as we will it, the MSL shall persevere in our hearts and memories. When you started watching is inconsequential, as is how good you are at the game; as long as the passion, the love, remains, so does the MSL. For when all has faded away and turned to dust, we can look back and remember the toppling of sAviOr, the questionable group selection ceremonies, fOrGG’s inexplicable run to the championship, and many other memories that each of us holds dear to him or herself.

In the end, what we love never truly leaves us. In the minds and the hearts of us, its fans, the MSL lives on.

REST IN PEACE, You will forever live on in my heart. Great memories....great times. I recommend anyone who already hasn't check out VODS uploaded on TL after you watch the recommended 25. (Nada vs Savior is a good start) You won't be disappointed.

*I'd love to have one of those RIP MBC Game Avatars in memory of them.*